YCLSA National Committee Press Statement

12 August 2018

The Young Communist League of South Africa (Ufasimba) convened the 11th Plenary Session of the 4th National Congress National Committee from the 10th to the 12th of August 2018.

The National Committee meeting received Political, Organizational and Financial Reports. In the main, the political report dealt with the struggle for women emancipation, particularly in the context of gender-based violence, the celebration of the Women's month, the dynamics and implications of the 4th Industrial Revolution, as well the land question. The meeting further discussed the road map towards the 5th National Congress including discussion documents.

The National Committee discussed in particular the concerns around youth unemployment, poverty and inequality. These social ills continue to plague our society, and our government seems to be wanting. As the vanguard of the working class youth we have to provide solutions.

The National Committee was addressed by the SACP First Deputy General Secretary (1st DGS), Cde Solly Mapaila. The DGS took the National Committee through the SACP document on the Reconfiguration of the Alliance. His emphasis was that comrades must familiarize themselves with Party resolutions to avoid their misinterpretation. The 1st DGS gave the historical account of the evolution of the Alliance. His emphasis was that, the Alliance was at the same time a struggle against imperialism, as part and parcel of the prosecution of the National Democratic Revolutionary tasks. The document's intention is to change how the Alliance operate and core of the is the democratic consensus process.

It is therefore within the context of the evolution of the Alliance that the Party must constantly locate its role within the Alliance hence the document the 'Reconfiguration of the Alliance'. The intention of the document is to change the way the alliance operates. The YCLSA will make contributions to the Reconfiguration of the Alliance document with the emphasis on institutional reconfiguration - focusing on mobilization and building of popular fronts, as well as the morality principle of ensuring that the congress movement purge itself incorrigible tendencies.

The National Committee welcomed and appreciated the processes that are being followed towards convening the SACP Special National Congress and resolved that the Special National Congress should be used to rejuvenate the Party.

WOMEN's MONTH

The YLCSA takes this opportunity to express its long standing commitment to the emancipation of women, and to be part and parcel of programmes that seek to end the scourge of gender based violence. The ruthless killings of women are uncalled for, and must be called for what they are.

The YCLSA is of the belief that struggles against gender oppression must not only be confined to women's month, rather they must mus be part of all year activities by communities, and various social and political actors.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICE

The YCLSA out rightly rejects the policy measure taken by our government in the name of Youth Employment Service (YES). We see this as nothing else but a replica of the Youth Wage Subsidy that was exposed of its hollowness as far as dealing with youth unemployment is concerned. The government has claimed that the YES programme will have a positive impact in dealing with youth unemployment in the country and thus contribute to lowering the high rate of joblessness amongst the youth. Unfortunately, this was the same sick narrative sold to the youth of our country when the youth- wage subsidy was first introduced. A youth-waged subsidy that did not have any positive effects on youth employment since its introduction on the 1st of January 2014.

There have been many policy proposals that came from the progressive sections of our youth, particularly the PYA. The YCLSA has over the years had its 10 youth demands, as well as our Youth Manifesto with 10 Youth Fronts which accord very well with the plight of the working class youth. But more often than not, government neglects such in favor of business-biased youth unemployment alleviation measures - neo-liberal policy prescriptions are running amok. As such, many government measures have done nothing else other than to treat the youth as a disposable section of the population to be exploited at will by capital - the question of internships is a case in point.

The YCLSA says NO to Youth Employment Service (YES). Our ten (10) youth demands as the YCLSA can work not ONLY as the basis but also as the policy and programmatic content in pursuit of youth development in particular, and a just and equal society in general.

THE NFSAS CRISIS

The YCLSA welcomes the resignation of Mr Sizwe Nxasana as the National Student Board Chairperson. The YCLSA is vindicated as it has always been questioning the capacity of NFSAS and its board to delivery on the government pronouncement of 'fee free' education. The YCLSA welcomes his resignation as a necessary step towards fixing NFSAS and helping it avoid being plunged into further crisis, and thus collapsing the scheme by those with no interest in servicing working class students. We call on Mr Steven Zwane to do the honorable thing to resign immediately.

We further call on the Minister of Higher education and Training to immediately dissolve the board and appoint an interim board as soon as possible.

LAND QUESTION

The YCLSA has noted the ongoing public hearings on land, many of our members have been part of some of these hearings both as members of their communities and as YCLSA members. The guiding approach to the question of land as far as YCLSA is concerned is that all productive forces, including land, must be in the hands of the state on behalf of the poor and workers.

The YLCSA therefore supports the amendment of section 25 of the constitution, that deals with the property relations, to be responsive to the plight of the poor, and make possible the redistribution of land to the landless, the poor and workers.

It is in this context that YCLSA calls for the expropriation of land without compensation. Going to its 5th National Congress the YCLSA will develop a position paper to enrich its stance on land, and the re-appropriation of all the means of production in general. Of priority is that, government must protect the rights of the urban and city dwellers, labour tenants, as well as the rural masses in its endeavor to expropriate land without compensation.

ON 4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The YLCSA has noted the attention given to the so called fourth Industrial Revolution. The fourth Industrial Revolution is passionately bandid about by government, Universities, the corporate establishment, youth formations, etc. The immense opportunities that have been brought about by this fourth revolution are a cause for celebration, yet we must not blind to the fact given that the fourth Industrial Revolution finds expression within the context of unequal capitalist imperialist relations, between countries of the North and the South, between the working class and the ruling class of countries, between men and and women, between different racial groups, etc.

While we welcome the evolution of technology, thus the Bit coin, Uber, Facebook, Alibaba, Airbnb, Artificial Intelligence, animation, etc. that relieves us from the drudgery of manual work, we need explore the power relations within which such technologies emerge. Unless and until we democratize such technologies, they shall be the preserve of the privileged class.

MOSES MABHIDA 4th PROVINCIAL CONGRESS

The National Committee received and discussed the congress report. The National Committee satisfied itself that the congress was long-overdue and approved for the convening of the congress from the 7th Plenary Session. The National Committee agreed that there was a congress in Moses Mabhida Province and the congress was convened guided by our constitution as such the congress met all constitutional requirements. The National Committee congratulated the newly elected Provincial Committee of Moses Mabhida Province as led by Cde Sandile Dayi as Provincial Secretary and Cde Ayanda Zulu as Provincial Chairperson.

The National Committee emphasized that the Province should focus on the National Committee message that was delivered in their congress that they must "Build YCLSA structures, increase mass base and presence" as the main task of the newly elected leadership. The National Committee further mandated the newly elected leadership to embark on a political and organizational process to unify the Province. We expect other provinces such as Gauteng and Western Cape to follow suit in building a vibrant and united YCLSA. A team of National Committee members will be deployed to assist the Province on fulfilling this revolutionary task.

ATTACKS ON SACP AND YCLSA

The YCLSA is deeply disgusted by the unwarranted attacks directed at the General Secretary of the SACP by one fellow called Senokoane, who is said to be representing the Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA).

The behavior of a supposed professor to go to the media to raise spurious allegations against the GS represents the worst of cowardice and dishonesty. Instead of helping to strengthen the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (NHISS) to produce a critical citizenry its leadership and carry on the good work it is doing, he seems to be on steroids of mediocrity and 'anti-communism', if not also an academic hit man hired by conservative political forces. To him and his ilk the manufacture of lies is more important than intellectual discourses. The YCLSA will never allow the name of the SACP through the attack of its GS to dragged in the mud by compromised academics who fail at their core duties.

The National Committee is further aggrieved by the infantile attacks to our National Secretary; we view these attacks as the attacks not only to the person of the NS but to the YCLSA as an organization. The YCLSA further characterize these attacks as formented and fermented by liquidationists who are hell-bent on destroying the YCLSA.

TOWARDS THE 5th NATIONAL CONGRESS

The YLCSA will be convening the 5th National Congress in the Province of Eastern Cape, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, from the 6th to 9th December 2018, under the theme" Deepening youth mobilization for socialism and build capacity for people's power"

The roadmap towards our National Congress was outlined and adopted by the 11th Plenary of the National Congress National Committee and the first phase on discussion documents will be released soon. We encourage every structure and member of the YCLSA to familiarize themselves with the roadmap and the guidelines towards National Congress. We need to behave as true Marxist-Leninists in whatever we do, even towards this fifth National Congress.

In conclusion,

The national committee explicitly and unanimously expressed its commitment to defend, in whatever way possible, the emblem and logo of the YCLSA.